Day Two

PRAYER

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Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

—PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 MSG

If anyone dealt with circumstances, trials, and opposition in life, it was the apostle Paul. If you are going through a difficult season, you can probably relate to Paul in some way. Look at the passage found in Philippians 4:6-7, and consider the context in which the author was writing. Paul was persecuted. He was shipwrecked. He was beaten. He was taken to trial. Paul was left for dead. And yet, the same Paul who experienced all of those hardships encourages readers by telling them, “Don’t fret or worry.” How in the world was he able to do this? How could this man enjoy soul prosperity and abundance even in the midst of some hard-hitting circumstances and trials?

Philippians 4:6-7 gives us Paul’s response and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 reveals his secret. How was it that Paul could walk in soul prosperity even during the difficult times? His secret was to “pray continually” (1 Thess. 5:17 NIV). The different translations of this one verse give greater insight into what it looks like to embrace a lifestyle of prayer.

Certainly we should set aside specific times to pray; however, we cannot just do our “God time,” cross prayer off our list, and then move on with our lives. Paul’s secret to living in a place of spiritual prosperity was that prayer wasn’t just a part of life; it was his life. He was constantly drawing from Heaven’s divine resources because he lived in nonstop fellowship with God through prayer.

Of course, we should engage the practical side of having a daily prayer time (in the same way you would have daily time in the Word). Whether you keep a prayer journal, pray over a set of Scriptures, or read from a series of proclamations or declarations, taking just fifteen minutes every morning to acknowledge who is first in your life will transform your day. It also sets the tone of your day. Just be sure to posture your heart correctly in prayer, not simply to punch your spiritual timecard—but open your ears to hear what the Creator of the Universe wants to say to you throughout the day. His desire is for continuous conversation and dialogue—and oftentimes, at the most random moments! God is always speaking. The question is, “Are you always listening?” Living in this dimension of prayer begins with the expectation that God wants to talk to you on a regular basis.

Paul lived in a place of abundance and prosperity because he lived with ears constantly tuned in to Heaven’s frequency. He understood that prayer was not simply laying out requests before God and then going about the day (although we should take time to present our requests to the Lord). Rather, Paul saw prayer as a dialogue, where we take as much time to listen as we do to speak… even if God seems silent. I find that often He answers much more with His presence than He does with words—and in that presence over the years, I have found more answers than I ever imagined possible as the Spirit of God planted His thoughts into the seed-bed of my mind.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

What is your prayer life currently like? What would you like to see changed?

What do you think it means to pray continually?

Have you experienced God answering you with His presence? What did this look like?

ACTION STEPS

Prayer…is an art which only the Holy Spirit can teach us. Pray for prayer. Pray until you can really pray.

—CHARLES H. SPURGEON

Change the way you approach prayer today! Take time to come before the Lord, but ask Him to keep the conversation going. Posture your heart before the Holy Spirit, expecting to hear His voice throughout the day. Remember, this was one of Paul’s secrets to living in a place of prosperity and abundance, even in the midst of some extraordinary difficulties.

I encourage you to approach the Lord in the morning and ask Him to help you engage this new dimension of dialogue-based prayer. Take this journal with you and write down how the Holy Spirit speaks to you throughout the day. His voice may come in subtle impressions. He may specifically direct you to pray for someone or a unique situation. Simply open your heart and open your ears to the God who desires communication with His people!